Almonds are the most consumed tree nut in the world. Although 81% of almonds come from the US (99% are grown in California), they are eaten practically everywhere in the world. Almonds have an earthy, crunchy, nutty taste that’s very distinct. They’re also very versatile. They can appear in pastries, butters and milk. Furthermore, almonds are a healthy source of fats and vitamins, whilst also packing protein.
However, with the recent popularisation of milk alternatives, there have been many debates regarding which “milk” is best to drink. One drawback about almonds is that they require a lot of water to grow. This might perpetuate a notion that almonds are unsustainable for the environment. But, does this claim hold any truth? In this blog, I will explore the world of almonds in order to uncover if almonds are truly bad for the environment.
History of Almonds
The history of almond cultivation can be traced back to 5000 years ago in what’s modern day Iran. This process started first by identifying the right type of almond. In the wild, there are two types of almonds: sweet and bitter. Sweet almonds are the common kind. They’re the ones we eat and grow. The bitter variety on the other hand is actually toxic to us. Over a period of time, people differentiated between the two, which made it easier to spread sweet almonds across the world.
Almonds spread across the Middle East and North Africa over the years via trade. They later spread further into Mediterranean Europe, becoming a staple part of the diet. During the Spanish inquisition of the Americas in the 18th century, missionaries brought almonds with them to California. As time went on and as agriculture progressed, California became the largest producer of almonds in the world. The favourable climate and topography allows growers to produce more almonds than anywhere else on the planet.
Almond Economics
The current global almond market was valued at $7.12 billion in 2020 with expectations of it reaching $9.89 billion in 2027. This represents a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.8% during those years. This figure is highlighted by the fact that the majority of the world’s almonds come from the USA. The country produced over 1.1 million metric tons of almonds in 2023/24, whilst the EU came second with 147.4 thousand metric tons. Interestingly, Europe is the largest consumer of almonds in the world, with 70% of their almonds coming from the USA. 60% of almonds are consumed as snacks whereas 40% are used as ingredients.
It’s clear that the demand for almonds is not slowing down for many reasons including health, convenience and preference. This is also highlighted by the steady increase of almond milk. In the past decade, the industry’s market size has reached $6.1 billion in 2022, and is projected to reach $10.99 billion in 2032. This trajectory reflects a CAGR of 14.10% over 10 years, which shows long-term stable growth.
Almond Production
Almonds come from trees, so as you can imagine, it takes a while for them to grow. It usually takes 3 to 4 years from when an almond tree is planted for crops to take. Thereafter, almond trees will typically grow more productive until peak production capacity around years 7 or 8. The tree will continue to produce almonds for another 12 to 15 years until yields begin to decline. Farmers at this point can decide whether to regrow a new tree or continue to farm their current tree.
Almond season typically starts in October. During this time, it’s important to feed the trees with as many nutrients before dormancy, so that they can start budding in February. This can be done by feeding the trees fertiliser through irrigation (fertigation), or through a dry format. In December, almond trees will lose their leaves, and go into dormancy. They will begin to come out of dormancy in January, which is when they’re ready to bud, eventually pushing flowers that will be pollinated in order to produce almonds.
Once the flowers are pollinated, they will start to produce foliage and small nuts that will later become almonds. During this time (March to July), farmers will apply additional nutrients and water to aid the trees in producing mature almonds. Additionally, they will spray fungicides and insecticides to protect the trees and ward off pests and diseases. Finally, almonds are harvested in early August via tree shakers, sweepers and harvesters. Almonds are shaken off a tree, swept into neat rows and then picked up. The almonds are then placed on a huller that removes the protective shell that encapsulates the edible kernel. Afterwards, the kernels are sold to processors and distributors so that they can be packaged and sold around the world.
Water Use
Almonds typically grow in Mediterranean climates, which are characterised by warm, rainy winters, and hot, arid summers. Since most of the global almonds are grown in parts of California that exhibit this climate, water is of the essence. However, rainfall in California is not sufficient enough to sustain the high water requirements that almond trees have. As such, farmers need to supplement rain water with irrigation. When water was accessible and cheap, farmers would submerge their trees by flooding their fields. This helped them save money that would have gone into spending on expensive technology.
Nowadays, water is scarce and expensive, and farmers are keeping track of their own environmental impact as well. This has led farmers to become more efficient with their water usage. Highly effective irrigation systems like drip and micro-sprinkler irrigation are used to grow more almonds with less water – with an efficiency rate of 95%! Almond farmer TerraAg, among others, is currently using subsurface irrigation, which means that water is fed directly to the roots. This method allows them to reduce water usage as much as possible.
Because most of the world’s almonds are grown in California, it’s important to discuss the current governance over the industry. Different irrigation districts in the state have access to different levels of water abundance. However, with the enactment of laws that limit water wasting, farmers can only use a certain amount of water to ensure that aquifers are not negatively depleted. As such, farmers have to be conscientious of their water usage.
Environmentally Friendly?
California dedicates 8% of its agricultural water into growing almonds. Each almond requires 5 litres of water to grow, or close to 45 litres for a handful. For something as small as an almond, this is quite a lot of water. So, what has been done about it? For starters, technology has enabled farmers to be better at saving water. As mentioned previously, farmers are not flooding their fields anymore, but rather, they’re meticulously using water to feed their almond trees. This has seen a decline in water use by 33% since the 1990s. With more environmentally conscious policies, the goal by 2025 is to reduce this by an extra 20%. As of writing this blog, California farmers are two thirds of the way there!
Another thing that’s worth mentioning is that almonds are not the only crop that needs a lot of water. Realistically speaking, most of what we eat requires water to produce. Some crops require more than others. For instance, another water-intensive crop that California grows is alfalfa. Alfalfa is a foraging crop that’s used to feed livestock animals. Most of the alfalfa that grows in California is exported to countries in Asia like China and Japan. In comparison, alfalfa uses 15% of California’s agricultural water, which is almost double that of almonds.
So far I’ve written about almonds, but what about almond milk? Well, shockingly enough, almond milk typically has only 2% almonds in it, with the rest being water and thickeners. The most conclusive number that I could find is 371 litres of water to produce 1 litre of almond milk. Almond milk by far consumers more water than other dairy alternatives like soy, rice and oats. However, if we compare that to regular cow’s milk, then cow’s milk takes the lead by over 250 litres. Although one could argue that the nutritional value of cow’s milk justifies the extra water usage, the numbers are clear.
It takes more water to produce milk and for that matter, meat as well. Cows drink a lot of water, sitting between 60 to 100 litres a day for lactating cows. Seeing that dairy cows typically live 6 years before slaughter, and beef cows 18 months, it’s not surprising that over their short lives in captivity, cows will drink a lot of water. Why does this matter? Well, California allocates around one third (1800 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of meat) of its water budget to produce meat and dairy. This amounts to more water use than all homes, businesses and government in the state combined.
Conclusion
The relationship between people and almonds goes way back. We love to eat almonds in all sorts of different ways. They can be a nice snack to have on their own, or part of a sweet dessert. They’re consumed all around the world, and are loved by many. However, almonds take up a lot of water, there’s no denying that. In a place like California that has experienced droughts, this might be a cause for concern. Despite this, blaming almonds for water shortages does not cover the full story. In this article, we looked at how almonds are produced and the water that goes into producing them. When compared to other dairy alternatives, almonds take the lead in water consumption. But, this lead dwindles when we involve the likes of alfalfa, dairy and meat.
Nevertheless, as the almond industry continues to grow, farmers and policymakers alike will find new ways to reduce almond’s water footprint. The current trajectory suggests that almonds today require less water than before. Technology will play an important role to ensure that farmers spend less water to grow their almonds, whilst also grow more of them. This will enable farms to supply the global population with almonds, and not at the expense of the environment. Only time will tell what the future of almond production will look like.